The Concept Of Schizotypy And Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Schizophrenia is a disorder that consists of positive, negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, disorganization and various dimensions and manifested as several clinical appearances because of different intersections of these dimensions at different levels. The description of the schizophrenia-like clinical picture is based primarily on the finding that psychosis-like symptoms have accumulated in families of patients with schizophrenia. The following studies have examined paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders in this spectrum by comparing them to schizophrenia. The idea intensely becomes more dominant in the literature that especially schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a non-progressive schizophrenia spectrum disorder in which different dimensions of schizotypy are seen together rather than a personality disorder. Among the personality disorders, SPD has the strongest genetic relationship with schizophrenia. The term schizotypy was first described as a schizophrenia-like psychosis phenotype. To date, studies have shown schizotypy has different dimensions, such as schizophrenia, and that reflections of these dimensions are common in non-clinical populations and individuals at risk for psychosis. At the same time, several studies found related dimensions of schizophrenia and schizotypy have similar neurobiological bases. As per the definiton of prodrome is a condition can only be defined retrospectively in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, schizotypal personality disorder and high schizotypy are predisposition indicators within the spectrum rather than reflecting the schizophrenia prodrome. Identifying of these borderline cases is important for uncovering etiopathogenesis of psychosis, early diagnosis of schizophrenia, intervention to predisposing factors and prevention of psychotic break.